Determining Number of Beads for Necklace Length

You don’t always need to know exactly how many beads you’ll need for a necklace. But sometimes you do. Stuller, a wholesale jewelry supply company, recently developed a series of charts showing the number of beads per inch required to complete necklaces of varying lengths. I’m reprinting them entirely below. Be sure to remember that some variation will occur with knots and clasps, however, in general, you add about an inch for every 16″ of knotted beads.

Here are the charts. Print them out for future reference, if you desire.

Here is the chart for knotted beads per inch. The Stuller people used a #5 cord, however, this is really a good indication of what you’ll need. The second chart is for unknotted beads per inch (BPI).

Pearl and Bead Stringing Chart

Pearl and Bead Stringing Chart

 

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Beading and Pearl and Bead Stringing

Making Jewelry with Seed BeadsPearl and bead stringing is a niche in the jewelry making trade. So, too, is beading. This can lead to some confusion because although they are distinct niches, the terms are often used interchangeably.

Beading refers to jewelry that is made using tiny seed beads, usually about 2.1 mm, meaning the beader needs about 21 beads to string an inch of jewelry. The seed beads are often made of glass and sometimes coated to produce a specific effect.  For example, iridescent or AB beads are coated with a finish that makes the bead shimmer. Another coating is called a marea finish which provides a metallic look to the bead.

Beaders make their jewelry using specific stitches. These include the peyote stitch, square stitch, herringbone stitch and brick stitch.

Pearl and bead stringers string beads, often gemstones, onto thread or wire and secure them with knots.  Pearl and bead stringers can and do use seed beads for decorative purposes, however, this niche is most often associated with gemstones and pearls which means that pearl and bead stringers should have some basic gemological knowledge.

Interest in beading has exploded in the last couple of decades, witness the appearance of a number of beading publications, and some beaders can and do produce beautiful work.

Making JewelryHowever, in my opinion, beading, which should be generally acknowledged as a form of art, isn’t, although the occasional beader such as Joyce Scott has achieved recognition as an artist.

There are reasons for this. (Again, these are my opinions, but I believe they are informed ones.)

Beading, especially beading the intricate forms that are characteristic of the best beaded jewelry or object, take enormous amounts of time.  Beaders, like pearl and bead stringers, want to be compensated for their work. Usually, this involves developing some type of formula which takes into account the materials used and the time involved to produce the work. However, unless the beader has an already established reputation, he or she is unlikely to earn anything remotely related to the hours upon hours spent in producing one piece of jewelry or one object.

The second reason is related. Competition from China whose workers produce beaded jewelry that can sell for below ten dollars brings down the final price consumers are willing to pay for beaded work.

Finally, the price of a piece of jewelry is related to the materials that are used. Pearl and bead stringers often work with material that has value apart from the labor, pearls and various gemstone beads. Beaders typically do not.

As a result of these factors, and again this is my opinion, beaders do not tend to compete in the forums where the public, specifically the art and craft buying public, can be educated to the value and artistry of their work.  They tend to form tight communities and share their work and ideas within these communities. This of course is all well and good, but it does not result in general appreciation of the best work that is produced by very accomplished artists in those communities.

Pearl and bead stringers also produce work that can be called art. The work of reclusive artist Judith Ubick comes to mind in this regard. However, making jewelry in this niche does not involve the same level of time, meaning that pearl and bead stringers can be compensated for labor.  In addition, the materials typically have intrinsic value, an easier “sell” to consumers who might balk at buying a piece of jewelry based solely on design.

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Pearl and Bead Stringers: Be Wary of Bad Advice from “Experts”

The internet is wonderful for so much. However, and this is a big however, the publishing freedom it provides means that there is an awful lot of advice out there that is not only wrong, but destructive.

I came across a good example of this in a news site that suggested various ways of identifying if a pearl is real or fake.

This is a question professional pearl and bead stringers will often get from clients. And, it’s one that you should know the answer to. I’ve developed a video that walks through the ways we can determine if a pearl is real without resorting to x-ray equipment and posted it below.

But the advice given on this website is bad and worse, destructive. The author recommends that a pearl be rubbed along a plate of glass. The fake pearl, according to the author, will leave no mark, while a real pearl will leave a faint white trail of nacre powder.

I don’t know if there’s any truth to this test. That’s because I don’t perform destructive tests on gemstones. Why on earth would you want to damage the nacre on a pearl? Nacre is a pearl’s heart and soul. It’s what gives a pearl its “pearly” appearance and nacre coverage is a quality factor that helps to determine the value of a pearl.

In a second test recommended by this “expert,” he or she (there is no author cited) suggests rubbing pearls together to look for a powdery residue. Huh? Again, this is a test that will damage the pearl’s nacre.

I was given some very good advice early in my career and that is to never, ever identify gemstones on the spot.  Don’t volunteer that the “pearl” necklace is lovely. It could be faux.  When clients ask about certain gemstones, including pearls, deflect the question with a comment. “It’s certainly a beautiful piece of jewelry,” etc. But don’t let yourself be put on the spot. If you get it wrong, your credibility is gone forever.

If the client insists, suggest that you need time to perform tests to determine authenticity. In the case of pearls, just follow the advice in the video and in the article posted in this section.

And, always, always be wary of anyone who suggests that a destructive test can determine authenticity. They can, but at the expense of a sometimes valuable or cherished gemstone. Don’t do it. And if someone suggests it, you’ll know their “expertise” is a sham.

If you want to see the news article I’ve referenced, click here,  but watch the video below for constructive suggestions on determining if a pearl is real. The information in the video is contained in an article here that you can print out for future reference.

 

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Platinum, Silver and a New Alternative

In an era where the cost of precious metals in a setting can often exceed the cost of the gemstone, it’s perhaps no surprise that manufacturers in the trade are moving to develop new and less expensive alloys for jewelry making.

One of these new alloys is “Platinaire,” developed by A.G. Weindling, a manufacturer. According to the company’s website, Platinaire is already sold in more than 3,000 stores nationwide. It is a patented alloy that combines sterling silver and platinum. The blend is 92.5% silver and 5% platinum and 2.5% the undisclosed elements that make up the patent. The metal is being promoted as a cost efficient alternative to gold for engagement rings although the company promises to introduce a full line of jewelry in the future.

However well Platinaire does in the marketplace it’s important to have an understanding of the properties of its two precious metals. Pearl and bead stringers almost certainly use sterling silver in making jewelry and although we don’t use platinum as much, we do incorporate it into designs with higher end gemstones such as South Seas Pearls. Here is a brief review of the basic properties of these two precious metals.

Sterling Silver: A Complicated Relationship for Jewelry Makers

Cullinan Diamonds Set in SilverSterling Silver is composed of 92.5 percent fine silver or pure silver and 7.5 percent copper (usually). The copper is added to the fine silver to harden it, to give it strength and durability.

Fine silver is somewhat reactive, Although it doesn’t tarnish easily, it does react with sulfur compounds in the air and our sweat to form black silver sulfide. But the tarnishing we are all familiar with is a result of the copper alloy. Copper is highly reactive–it tarnishes and forms copper oxides very easily. 

The copper in the silver is what makes silver’s relationship with jewelry makers complicated. Sterling silver is easy to work with. It’s extremely malleable and ductile and it’s also the least expensive of the precious metals. But it tarnishes.

Related to this is the issue of firescale or firestain, a reddish purple bloom or stain that can occur on sterling silver when it’s heated in the presence of oxygen. Although silversmiths use a variety of methods to avoid firescale, it does occur when the silver is heated and can destroy or at the least change the appearance of a piece.

By the way, the 92.5 percent standard was set in England around 1300 and silver’s association with the British pound sterling lead to its name “Sterling Silver.”

Interestingly, silver has a special place in the history of the elements because it is one of the first five metals discovered and used by humans. The others are gold, copper, lead and iron. The oldest silver objects have been found in Greece and date back to 4000 bc.

The necklace pictured above is of the Cullinan Diamond necklace, a necklace made from pieces of the monster diamond — total pre-cut weight of 3,106.75 carats — discovered in 1905 by Thomas Cullinan. This necklace was a gift to his wife. Please notice the silver settings.

Platinum: First Among Equals…by a Wide Margin

Platinum was first discovered in South American in the sixteenth century by Spanish conquistadors who regarded the metal with some contempt, naming it “platina” meaning little silver. In fact, when the Spanish encountered the metal while panning for gold, they threw it back to allow it to “ripen” into silver.

It wasn’t until the middle of the eighteenth century when the metal reached Europe that platinum began to receive the attention it deserved. In 1751, Swedish scientist Theophil Scheffer categorized platinum as a precious metal and by the 1780s Louis XVI declared it was the only metal fit for kings

What made platinum so attractive to European royalty are the same properties that makes platinum attractive today. It is beautiful to look at, a silver-grey shiny metal, but it is relatively non-reactive, meaning it doesn’t combine with or interactive with other chemicals or compounds. This means it’s highly resistant to tarnish and corrosion.

Platinum is also ductile and malleable. This is important. A ductile metal can be drawn into thin wires while a malleable metal can be hammered into thin sheets. The trouble for early users of platinum, though, was that platinum’s high melting temperature meant that it couldn’t be rendered malleable for jewelry. (Ordinary furnaces of the time didn’t get hot enough.) As a result, it’s use was limited to decorative items.

In 1856, the high temperature jeweler’s torch was invented. The oxyhydrogen torch made possible the high temperatures needed to solder, melt and cast platinum. When diamonds were discovered in Kimberly, South Africa in 1866, it quickly became apparent that platinum complemented diamonds in a way that gold and silver could not. Despite this, the availability of platinum was extremely limited. Columbia had stopped exporting it in 1822 and the only source of platinum in the 19th century was its discovery in the alluvial gold mines in the Ural Mountains.

Platinum jewelry was popularized in the early twentieth century by the French firm Cartier. Louis Cartier used platinum in his “Garland” style pieces and to enhance the brilliance of diamonds. His work is so successful that it became synonymous with the Edwardian jewelry which was characterized by pearls, diamonds and platinum. In fact, Edward VII said of Cartier that he was “the jeweler of kings and the king of jewelers.”

Cartier Platinum BroochCartier himself described platinum jewelry as “embroidery,” a term which he felt conveyed the airy delicacy which could be achieved by the metal. Platinum made it possible for the jeweler to create mounts and settings as light as they were strong. In fact, some of the settings created by Cartier are so fine as to be almost invisible. In evaluating this achievement, remember that diamonds had been set in sterling silver. Because sterling silver is soft, jewelers typically used somewhat clunky, unattractive mounts to protect the gemstone.

Platinum’s strength is illustrated by the fact the some of the most important diamonds in the world are set in platinum. The Hope, Jonker Diamond Number One, and the Koh-i-Noor, are all secured by platinum settings.

Today, three quarters of the world’s platinum output is sources in South Africa from the Bushveld Igneous Complex. Platinum is also sourced, to a lesser extent, from Canada.

It is one of the rarest materials on earth.To produce a single ounce of platinum, a total of 10 tons of ore must be mined. In comparison, only three tons of ore are required to produce one ounce of gold.

Most of all, it’s beautiful. It’s rich luster and neutral color complements and enhances gemstones, especially diamonds.

Conclusion

We’ll see how “Platinaire” does in the marketplace. A number of new sterling silver alloys have been created in recent years with varying degrees of success. However, it’s important for jewelry makers, including pearl and bead stringers, to know the properties of precious metals and be able to discuss them with clients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

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Historic Diamond to Change Hands

Beau Sancy Diamond

Beau Sancy Diamond

One of the marvelous aspects of making jewelry is learning about famous jewelry. It teaches us history, cultural history and some of the most important impulses and beliefs of various civilizations. So when a famous piece of jewelry or historic gemstone changes hands, it’s a good opportunity to refresh our knowledge about the gemstone and its historic context.

Southeby’s announced last week that it will auction the Beau Sancy at its sale of Magnificent Jewels Noble Jewels on May 15.

The Beau Sancy, a modified pear double cut diamond, weighing 3.98 carats, is both magnificent and noble.

In four hundred years, it has been owned by four European families, including some of the names that we on this side of the Atlantic are most familiar with.

The Beau Sancy was acquired in 1570 in Constantinople by Nicolas de Harlay, Lord of Sancy. (Harlay himself led a remarkable life as a diplomat, financier and jewel expert.) Harlay also owned a 55.23-carat shield-shaped yellow diamond called the “Sancy.”

The Beau Sancy probably originated in India near the city of Golconda, the source of many of the best known diamonds in the world, including the Hope, the Koh-i-Noor and the Regent.

Harlay finally sold the larger Sancy to James I of England and legend has it that when Marie de Medici, wife of King Henry IV of France found out about the sale, she was so furious that Henry bought the Beau Sancy to placate her.

Marie had the diamond set in the crown she wore at her coronation on May 13, 1610. (See picture on this page.) The very next day, her husband was assassinated and she was made regent for her eight year old son, Louis XIII.

Marie de Medici with Beau Sancy

Marie de Medici with Beau Sancy

That exemplar of Mother love was forced into exile by her son seven years later and spent the next twenty five years in intrigue against him. Finally, in 1641, she was forced to sell the Beau Sancy to pay off some of her creditors.

I’m not going to trace its entire history here except to note that the Beau Sancy has been part of the crown jewels of France, Holland, England, Prussia and the German Empire. It belonged to British monarchs William and Mary, reverted to the House of Orange-Nassau, and was sealed in a crypt during WWII where it was found after the war by British troops who restored the diamond to the House of Hohenzollern where it has remained ever since.

Georg Friedrich Ferdinand, Prince of Prussia, head of the Imperial House of Hohenzollern and great-great-grandson of Wilhelm II, the last Kaiser of Germany, is selling the Beau Sancy. Estimates are that the diamond will fetch up to $4 million.

The Beau Sancy has only been shown four times in the last 50 years. Before the sale, the diamond will be shown in Sotheby’s showrooms in Hong Kong, New York, Rome, Paris, London and Zurich before arriving at its destination in Geneva. So, if you’re in one of the neighborhoods, do try to see it.

The larger “Sancy” diamond is owned by the Louvre and there is some hope that the Louvre will buy the smaller stone, reuniting the famous cousins.

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Key Concept for Making Jewelry

Key Tool for Making Jewelry

Frederick Mohs Invented the Mohs Scale

There are some tools and concepts that all jewelry makers, including pearl and bead stringers, should be familiar with. One of these is the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.

The Mohs scale is named for Frederick Mohs, a German geologist, who developed it in the early nineteenth century. It tells us how hard a mineral is and how resistant it is to scratching by another mineral.

It’s important not to confuse hardness – a gemstone’s ability to resist scratching – with toughness which refers to a gemstone’s ability to resist fracturing.

The Mohs scale takes ten minerals, from talc through diamonds, and assigns them a number which reflects their hardness. (The minerals selected by Mohs back in the 19th century were somewhat arbitrary. He selected them because they were widely available.)

Talc has a hardness of one and is the softest mineral on the Mohs scale. Talc is so soft it can be scratched with a fingernail.

Diamond has a hardness of ten and is the hardest mineral on the Mohs scale.  A diamond can be scratched by another diamond, but it cannot be scratched by corundum (ruby or sapphire) which is a nine on the Mohs scale.

It’s important to understand that the Mohs scale is a relative scale, not proportional. A mineral with a number four on the Mohs scale is not twice as soft as a mineral with a number eight.  In another example, diamond which has a number 10 on the Mohs scale is four times harder than corundum which is a number nine.

The Mohs scale uses only 10 minerals for reference, however, all known minerals have been assigned a number on the scale, so they are easy to look up.

So why is this concept so important? A mineral’s ability to resist scratching can help us determine how it should be used in jewelry. Fluorite, for example, is a lovely gemstone that is available in many colors. But fluorite has a Mohs hardness of four. This means it’s soft and vulnerable to scratching. This tells jewelry makers that fluorite should not be used in rings which commonly receive a lot of wear and tear.  Instead the gemstone should be used in necklaces, brooches, pendants and earrings, that is, in jewelry which generally doesn’t get knocked around the way rings (and bracelets) do. And, if you’re using fluorite beads, it’s critical that they are knotted. The knots will prevent the fluorite from rubbing against each other and scratching.

Related to the concept of hardness is the concept of toughness. This refers to a mineral’s ability to withstand fracturing. Diamonds, for example, are ten on a Mohs scale, but they are vulnerable to fracturing, chipping and breakage. In another example, emeralds are a 7.5-8 on a Mohs scale, but they are susceptible to breakage because they generally have inclusions. (This is why emeralds are often made into cocktail rings, but rarely into engagement rings.)

When you are making jewelry, especially when you are making jewelry with gemstones you are unfamiliar with, be sure to check the Mohs scale for hardness. For pearl and bead stringers this is critical to determining whether the beads should be knotted or can safely be left unknotted.

Here is the Mohs scale.

Mohs Scale is essential for jewelry makers

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Argyle Diamond Mine Announces Historic Find

Argyle Pink Jubilee DiamondThe Argyle Diamond Mine Company in Western Australia announced last week that it had unearthed a 12.76 ct. pink diamond, the largest in the Mine’s history.

The Mine is calling the new find “The Argyle Pink Jubilee.”

Pinks are in one of the most exclusive clubs in the world – ultra-rare colored diamonds called “fancies.”

Until the 1980s when pinks were discovered by the Argyle Diamond Mine Company,  they were virtually unknown.  In fact, today, almost all the world’s pink diamonds come from the Argyle which also produces a large percentage of the world’s brown (champagne and cognac) diamonds. Argyle itself estimates that it supplies 90% of the world-wide market for pink diamonds.

Most colored diamonds (and other gemstones) derive their color from impurities in the stone. As an example, the presence of boron in a diamond can give it a color ranging from “ice blue” to grey-blue to deep dark peacock blue. The presence of nitrogen can color a diamond a yellow, golden or green.

But pinks are different. No one really knows what causes the distinctive colors of pink diamonds, although there is a widely accepted theory.

It’s believed that the pink color is caused by a distortion in the diamond’s crystal lattice due to intense heat and pressure during or after the stone’s formation in the earth. The heat and pressure act to displace carbon atoms from their normal positions altering the qualities of light reflected by the diamond.

But the mystery of its color origin adds to its mystique. On a per carat basis, high quality pinks are among the most expensive gemstones in the world, if not the most expensive. As one example, a 5.00 carat cushion-shaped fancy vivid pink was sold for $10.8 million at auction in 2009.

Experts believe the Argyle Pink Jubilee might rival this record when it is sold at the company’s annual tender, although it’s not clear at this point how much of the stone will be lost during cutting and polishing.  (Argyle says it will take up to two months to just plan the cutting and polishing and about 10 days to actually accomplish it. Gemstones can lose significant numbers of carats during this process. Expert diamond polisher Richard How Kim Kam who has worked for Argyle for 25 years will do this work.)

The Argyle Pink Jubilee is being compared to the Williamson Pink, which was discovered in Tanzania and given to Princess Margaret upon her engagement to Prince Phillip.  Until the discovery of the Pink Jubilee, the Williamson was considered the finest pink in existence.

Argyle is notable for its pink and brown diamonds. However, it should also be remembered that Argyle was the first mining company to announce it would not extend its contract with DeBeers. This was back in 1996 when DeBeers still controlled a majority of the world’s diamonds. At that time, the break with DeBeers was considered risky and courageous.

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What’s in a name? Maybe trouble!

Good advice for making jewelryAs small business owners, we try to think of everything. But we can’t.

I was reminded of this by a post in a jewelry forum by a woman who was considering what name to give her business.  She offered a number of suggestions and asked for feedback.

Years ago, I was doing business under the name “Fleury Jewelry.” One night over discussions with friends in the trade, someone mentioned that anyone who sells jewelry should never include the word in their business title. His point was that the term “jewelry” on business cards, labels, store signage, etc., is an invitation to thieves.

I was unpleasantly reminded of that advice a short time later when when a representative from the state taxing authority contacted me and wondered why I wasn’t paying more in state taxes since I was in the “jewelry business.”

Where were tax receipts from engagement rings, he wondered. Where were tax receipts from gold necklaces? What kind of inventory did I have in gemstones that I was not paying taxes on, he asked.

I had to give a relatively long tutorial on the subject of “studio” jewelry which is what I sold. Studio jewelry is of course “art jewelry.” (The term goes back to just after WWII where returning veterans began to produce one of a kind or limited production work in their studios and/or garages.)

Studio jewelers or art jewelers, I explained, produce jewelry using a variety of materials, but usually not what we think of as “commercial jewelry.” That is, they may use gemstones and precious metals, but not always, and in fact, most don’t. Some use found materials; others inexpensive materials such as aluminum. Still others may use wood or fuse thin strips of precious metals to other metals.

The upshot was that I had to send representative images of the jewelry to the state to prove what I was telling him, that I didn’t have a big inventory of diamonds in a safe in a back room. That, yes, we did produce engagement rings, but that these were one-of-a-kind and didn’t always involve diamonds or even gemstones.

It was definitely unpleasant and I intensely dislike being on the radar of these kinds of agencies. Shortly thereafter I moved (a move that already had been planed) and changed my DBA.

So, while I never had trouble with anyone stealing a package, I did have my own kind of trouble with another type of thief. (Yes, this is debatable, of course, but it was a difficult experience.)

However, it was and is good advice for anyone who sells jewelry.

 

 

 

 

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Why Bead Stringers Must Know How to Knot Between Pearls and Beads – Part Two

Components of a Bead TipKnowing how to knot between beads is foundational for gemstone protection and to prevent loss. It is also an important skill that enables the professional pearl and bead stringer to extend his or her design and manufacturing capabilities. Knowing how to knot pearls and gemstone, for example, enables the pearl and bead stringer to create strong multi-strand necklaces in a variety of different designs as well as take advantage of the plethora of colored thread available.

Just as important as knowing how to knot between beads is knowing how to use knots to secure the necklace to the clasp.

The process of securing a necklace to a clasp using knots involves taking the needle up through the last few beads, through the jump ring on the clasp and then back through those unknotted beads, however, during this second pass through, the beads are knotted.

The result is a piece of jewelry where all the elements are equally secure.

Unfortunately, pearl and bead stringers are often taught they can avoid this step, which does take practice to master, by using bead tips.

These are small findings whose appearance is somewhat like a bowl with an arm extending over it. The bowl has a hole drilled through its center. The bead stringer ties a knot larger than the hole and takes the needle through the hole and adds gemstones. The thin metal arm is then bent around the jump ring on the clasp it. This affixes the necklace to the clasp.

Knowing how to use bead tips, like crimping, is an essential skill. However, they, too, have their limitations. The thin metal arm can pull open, detaching the necklace from the clasp. This occurs when the owner pulls the clasp or when the beads are too heavy for the bead tip to support over time.  And, remember that excessive manipulation of the metal can cause it to become brittle and break. (Excessive manipulation can occur if a less than skillful manufacturer opens and closes the bead tip repeatedly during manufacture and it also occurs when the bead tip pulls open and the owner or manufacturer pushes it back into place.) Bead tips used on bracelets, which often receive more wear and tear than necklaces, are often susceptible to this kind of breakage. A second type of breakage can occur if the knot pulls through the bowl of the bead tip.

So, in determining whether and when to use bead tips, the pearl and bead stringer must ask the questions: How heavy are the gemstones and will the bead tip support the gemstones over time? If you are designing the jewelry for a client, think about whether that client is rough on jewelry, that is, whether she is likely to pull at the clasp.
A final consideration is purely subjective. Bead tips are a mechanical element used to affix the necklace to the clasp. They are not decorative. This is not an issue when small, unobtrusive bead tips are used. However, I’ve seen multi-strand necklaces where multiple bead tips are used at the clasp. To my eye, these mechanical elements used in this way conflict with the design and diminish the overall appeal of the jewelry.

In all cases, manufacturing decisions must be made with the objective of delivering the strongest possible piece of jewelry to a client. When manufacturing strength is sacrificed for design or sometimes for silk’s protective properties, the decision to make that sacrifice should be informed and discussed with the client.  No manufacturing decision should be made on the basis of the available skills of the pearl and bead stringer. He or she should have the foundational skills of knowing how to knot pearls and gemstones and attaching a necklace to a clasp with thread..

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Why Bead Stringers Must Know How to Knot Between Pearls and Beads

Knotting between Pearls and Beads is Foundational

How to Knot Between Pearls and Beads

Knotting between pearls and beads is an essential skill

When I taught pearl and bead stringing classes at my gallery, which I did for more than ten years, occasionally I’d have a student who was content to stop after learning how to crimp. This, fortunately, did not happen frequently, but it did happen.

Crimping, of course, is a method of stringing beads where a flexible wire is inserted through the beads to create a string of beads. The wire is then folded over the jump ring of the clasp and through a metal tube. The metal is then smashed against the wire to secure the necklace to the clasp. There have been improvements in crimping technology over the years, notably the introduction of the crimping pliers which allows the user to fold the metal over the original “smash,” adding strength and durability to the connection to the clasp.

Crimping is an essential skill. It is also the easiest skill to learn. Although I don’t often crimp necklaces, I do when the beads present a manufacturing issue which I can’t solve without crimping. These include beads with exceptionally large drill holes such as those you’ll often encounter with amber and beads with very small drill holes which won’t accommodate even the thinnest thread. You’ll sometimes see these tiny holes with very porous materials, such as lava.

But I always look for a way around crimping.

Why?

The basic benefits of knotting between pearls and beads are well understood.

  • Knotting prevents the beads from rubbing against one another. This is especially important for organic gemstones such as pearls and for other gemstones which can scratch relatively easily.

 

  • Knotting helps prevent loss. Should a necklace break, the probability is that only one pearl or gemstone will be at risk of being lost. The knots keep the other gemstones from scattering.
  • Knotting between pearls and beads sends an unmistakable signal to a client or buyer that the pearl and bead stringer cared enough about the finished product to put the time and effort into a professional and durable manufacturing process. When I see a necklace that isn’t knotted, red flags go up in my mind. Are the gemstones so inexpensive that the manufacturer didn’t feel that they warranted knotting? Is the necklace commercially produced, that is produced in large quantities? And, if I see an unknotted necklace at a truck show or craft show or fair, then I always suspect that the manufacturer just hasn’t taken the time to learn how to knot.

I once had a student who asserted that it wasn’t important to learn how to knot, that clients wouldn’t see or understand its benefits. Unlike most of my students who went on to do very good work that I was proud of, this student didn’t last long in the Houston design community. Clients, especially clients who buy art jewelry or one-of-a-kind jewelry are exceptionally discerning. Believe me, they know when a necklace is badly strung or the manufacture is shoddy. Short-cuts with this crowd just don’t cut it.

Although the benefits of knotting between pearls and beads are well-understood, these benefits don’t stop there.  Knotting is essential for securely attaching a necklace to a clasp, for increasing manufacturing capabilities and as an critical element in design. More on this tomorrow.

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